Date: Sun, 26 May 2013 15:58:52 -0700
Reply-To: Stacy Schneider <vwcrewman@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stacy Schneider <vwcrewman@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Flowers for stones
In-Reply-To: <CAO+YcsK03Ugo0yh3Mw-g9Z=Zgp=YL27bbOerTSwhOhDVcmmq8g@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Out local scout council has been doing grave decorating for years .
As the event has become more popular it is amazing how quickly the 100's of thousands of grave sites all have flags on them.
It is an impressive site when you drive by on the freeway .
Remember our Veterans " they gave their lives so that you may enjoy yours "
-Stacy
On May 26, 2013, at 1:20 PM, Al Knoll <anasasi@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> I send this out from time to time.
>
> Here's something that will make your Memorial Day a little more memorable.
>
> Buy a dozen or so red carnations. Get that old 6 inch screwdriver
> out of the toolbox. Fire up that 20 year old Vanagon and drive to
> your nearest National Cemetary. You can find the locations on the
> web. If you have never visited a National Cemetery before, it will
> likely be a humbling, emotional experience so you should be prepared.
>
> Make it a family event if you like, tell the kids or the grandkids
> that you're taking the vanagon to a special place before the usual
> family festivities. Tell them that they are the flower children, and
> you will be looking for special stones.
>
> At the cemetary there are row on row of solemn white stones. Each
> has the name of the veteran or veteran's family member on it.
> You are looking for the special stones, those whose inscriptions
> indicate that the veteran was killed in combat. At most cemetaries
> each grave will have a small flag and many of these fallen combat
> soldiers will have flowers at their graves. Pass reverently by those
> graves, you are looking for a combat veteran whose grave has no
> flowers. At each of these graves you can use the screwdriver to make a small
> hole in the grass and place one of those hardy carnations in the the sod.
> Think for a moment about this particular fallen soldier and remind yourself
> that you, a stranger, remembered them on this memorial day. You will run out
> of flowers before you run out of stones.
>
> Before you leave, explain to your family what these veterans did and
> why the freedoms you enjoy today were paid for by the strangers
> beneath the stones.
>
> Should anyone ask, " Where have all your flowers gone?" you can reply
> "gone to the graveyard every one".
>
> Al Knoll c. 2000
> MAAGie 61-63 Proudly Served
|